On May the 11th I wrote a blog post about an experience I had on a rather gloomy Monday in Morpeth town centre whilst out shopping.
As you may recall rather overwhelmed by the collective despondency at the time I had stood – cueing up to get into Boots the Chemist – only to gaze forlornly into the shop window of WH Smith – heart sick for a spot of shopping and normality. Suddenly my eyes strayed upon a pencil case in the window with the picture of a meditating Lama on it! The pencil case read BREATHE and so taking this as a message from the Universe I took a long deep breath in and out and leg go of my stress and tension and sadness – affirming – this too shall pass!
I vowed there and then – when WH Smith’s was next open – I would return and buy that pencil case as a reminder of that day and the way in which the universe had my back! And today was that day!
Today was the first day non essential shops were allowed to re-open here in the UK and I am not ashamed to say that I found it all ridiculously exciting!
I am – as some of you know – somewhat of a shopaholic – I am very good at buying things – even if I do say so myself – whether they be for me or someone else. In fact I have always thought of this as “one of my gifts”. And so to have no where to exercise my talents – other than online, which isn’t quite the same – I have suffered somewhat from withdrawal.
Today then was THE most exciting day and although I didn’t go far – just into Morpath again to do our weekly shop – I did indulge myself a little – riding the escalator up to the 1st floor of M&S (clapping to myself with hardly contained glee), into WH Smith’s to liberate the Lama and poking my head into Specsavers to investigate fancy frames for my reading glasses.
The relief and joy in the air was PALPABLE and despite people being obviously cautious – masks were in full effect and people were being VERY mindful of each other – there was a real sense of happiness that the world was beginning to return to some sense of normality.
I understand for some that this might sound BONKERS and I hear you but for every one person out there willing to embrace the new normal and happy to let go of the old world there are I assure you another five, ten, twenty people – myself included – who quite liked the world the way it was. Granted not the global pollution or the lack of appreciation for Key Workers or the dreadful treatment of the NHS but the casual tick of the world. Shopping and stopping for a coffee and nipping on trains … if that makes me seem less spiritual and I have disappointed then I am sorry but it is how I am and nothing – in my book – to be ashamed about!
So … contentedly I skipped back to the car – clutching my pencil case, my face beaming and my heart skipping too and I nodded and smiled at the people in and out of their masks who looked happy and relieved I thought about the meditating Lama and his message back in May.
BREATHE … this too shall pass.
And maybe … just maybe it is!
